raw files

This luminosity mask technique enables you to create the perfect raw HDR image by blending two exposures according to lightness, not just area. This is a variation on the traditional HDR photography technique, but because we want to darken highlights and lighten shadows throughout the image rather than in selected areas, we’ll blend the images in a different way.

Remember that the version of Adobe Camera Raw in Elements is stripped-down compared to Photoshop proper, and that you won’t be able to target specific areas of your image to make localised adjustments.

So a solution is to produce two or more versions of your raw file, then open them in Photoshop or Elements, combine them as layers in a single image and use layer masks to hide or reveal adjustments in specific areas. Here’s how it’s done…

In our latest Raw Tuesday post on using the raw format, discover how using Camera Raw tonal adjustment sliders in the basic tab will let you process your image exactly how you want it to appear. Here is a guide to each slider and what it can do for your images.

Even though our Raw Tuesday series is concerned with shooting and editing raw files, we must acknowledge that JPEGs do have their advantages – the file sizes are smaller, and shots are ‘ready to go’ straight from the camera.

But if you’re serious about photography you should set your camera to shoot Raw. And perhaps the biggest reason why should do this is, in addition to getting the best possible quality, shooting raw files gives you an invaluable safety net when the scene in front of you presents exposure problems.

In the latest installment of our Raw Tuesday series on shooting and editing raw files, we take a closer look at shooting raw files. By now we all know that you capture more detail when you shoot raw files, but if you don’t set up your camera properly it’s a wasted effort. In this tutorial we explore how to set up your camera to shoot raw and get it right in-camera, as well as answer some of the common questions about shooting raw files.

In our ongoing Raw Tuesday series we have taken you through some of the most common questions bout how to shoot and edit raw files, and now we are starting to look at some of the more specific ways in which the raw format can give you an advantage. This week we take a close look at how to edit raw files and manage your raw workflow in a way that makes sense for you. We’ll also follow on from last week’s discussion of the Adobe Camera Raw interface and explain how to customise the process of editing raw files using ACR.

In our ongoing Raw Tuesday series we have taken you through some of the most common questions bout how to shoot and edit raw files, and now we are starting to look at some of the more specific ways in which the raw format can give you an advantage. This week we take a close look at how to edit raw files to achieve perfect colour and tone. Then we’ll also help you get familiar with the Adobe Camera Raw interface and some of its key functions.